Accidents and fantastic acquaintances
by HashtagMC
Summary: Nico di Angelo is a famous singer-songwriter. When he gets hurt in a car crash and a guy named Percy saves his life, his world is turned upside town. And maybe he doesn't want to be the well-protected celebrity anymore...
1. Races & car accidents

**Author's note (AN):** Yeah, I can't keep my fingers off the keyboard, it's like I'm addicted to writing stories. Each time an idea pops up in my head, I just _have_ to write it down and publish it.

This is my first try in writing an AU (I think that means _Altered Universe_ or something like that — to put it short, it's not canon-conform, but alters major facts or circumstances. Like dropping the whole demigod-thing), so please don't bite my head off. I'll do my best to make the (mortal) world of PJO and HoO plausible.

tl;dr: Enjoy reading, and please review!

 **Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus are the property of Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 _Introduction:_

 _Nico di Angelo is a famous musician (or rather, singer-songwriter), who writes and sings dark, emotional songs, always accompanied by his black steel string guitar. In his songs, he processes sorrowful events from his past, such as the death of his mother and his sister. He is very popular, and the tabloid press reports everything he does. He lives with his father and stepmother, the chauffeur, and the butler._

* * *

 **Nico**

Nico stared out of the window of the car. He hated long car rides. Especially long car rides on empty country road, with nothing interesting in sight, only trees and meadows. Even the truck who carried the equipment wasn't around; it drove a few miles in ahead of them. Only thing he could see were a few other cars and a motorbike.

He was coming from a gig, and Nico was dog-tired. All he wanted was to drop into his bed and sleep for the next week. But that wouldn't happen. Nico's father was very ambitious, and although Nico was grateful that he had been given the opportunity to turn his passion into a job, he sometimes wished he wouldn't have to rush from one performance to the next. Besides from composing songs, writing lyrics, and practicing, he had close to no free time. Damn, he was 16, he should be hanging out with his friends (he had no friends) or making out with his boyfriend (he had no boyfriend).

The chauffeur, Jules-Albert, changed the lane to give way to a way too fast car. The sudden motion jolted Nico from his thoughts. A second, and then a third car zoomed by, tooting loudly. They had gotten into the middle of an illegal street race. Jules-Albert did all he could to evade the racing cars, but it was too late. The last car, who's driver was obviously half-drunk, crashed into their car.

 _ **CRASH!**_

* * *

Nico tried to open his eyes, and gasped when he felt a sharp pain in his left side. His vision was blurry, but he was sure he could see a face. Slowly, all of his senses returned. He lay on a hard ground, in a puddle of liquid. Judging by the pain above his left hip, probably his own blood. He could hear fire and feel the cold air. Apparently, he was wrapped up in what felt like a rescue blanket.

"Don't move." a voice said, and the blurry face slowly came into Nico's focus. Black hair and green eyes. "Can you hear me?" Nico managed a small nod. "Good. Don't try to move. How many fingers am I showing?" Nico tried to count them. "Three?" "Good. Can you count to ten?" Nico wondered whether this guy was mental, but he did him the favor. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." Oh, right, that's what one did to make sure that the victims of an accident hadn't any brain injuries.

The boy sighed in relief. "Good. Seems your head has no severe injuries. What's your name?" "Nico."

Nico waited for the boy to flip out. Scrawny, dark-haired teen named Nico. He was sure the guy would recognize him and act like a typical fan. He could already imagine his next words. _Nico di Angelo? Can I have an autograph?_ But the guy merely shrugged. "I'm Percy" he said.

Nico tried to remember. They had been driving, some cars had overtaken them, and then- the memory hit him with a shock.

"The accident! What happened? Where is Jules-Albert? What-" he tried to sit up, but Percy held him on the ground. "Relax. You're hyperventilating. Come on, you must slow your breathing down. Can you see my breaths? Try to breath in sync with them." Nico tried, and slowly, he calmed down. Percy let go of him. "Your car is mostly destroyed. I assume Jules-Albert is the chauffeur? He's hurt and knocked out, but he'll make it. The car has hit the tail of your car, so your condition is worse than his.

You most likely have a concussion. Your right arm is broken, you've got scrapes all over your body, and a shrapnel is stuck in your ribcage. You're lucky, it missed both your heart and lungs. I did my best to bandage the wounds, but it's up to the surgeons to remove the splinter. Don't worry, I've already called an ambulance."

Nico's eyelids felt heavy, and he felt the sudden urge to sleep, but Percy shook his shoulders. "Come on, stay with me. Talk to me, tell me anything, but you must _not_ fall unconscious.

Nico fought the fatigue. And he talked. He didn't pay any attention to the words that came out of his mouth. Something about guitars, and annoying car rides, and the horrible music that some radio stations played. Gods, he was rambling. But he didn't dare talking about himself so he wouldn't reveal his identity, but he talked about harmless things.

He heard sirens closing up on them, and suddenly there were the sounds of doors getting slammed, and voices shouting commands. He felt Percy putting something in his pocket. "Nico, do me a favor. Call me when you're fully recovered, would you? The number is on the note that I gave you." Nico managed to nod. Then his eyes fell shut, and this time there was no way he'd open them again. He got lifted and felt that he moved, voices all around him. The siren became louder, and he felt hands touching him, carefully removing some of the bandages and treating his wounds.

Eventually, he fell asleep.

 **Percy**

Percy had been questioned by a few police officers for one hour before he was allowed to drive home. No, he hadn't seen the license plate of the accident car. Yes, he had seen the accident, and yes, he could describe it. A few idiots had organized a street race, and one of them had crashed into the car. No, he hadn't participated in the race. He had been fifty meters behind the racers when the accident had happened, and immediately stopped and administered first aid. After he had signed his testimony, he could finally leave the police office and drive home.

He turned on his phone, and found a dozen missed calls. Right, his mother and her new husband must be worried sick. The car accident had certainly already been in the news, and if they couldn't reach him… He dialed his mother's number, and a second later, his mother answered the call.

"Percy? Is that you? Oh god, I was so worried. They said that there was an accident, and I couldn't reach you. Are you okay? Why didn't you answer the phone?"

"Mom, I'm fine. Yeah, I saw the accident on my way back from the beach. You know, I spent the day with Jason, Leo and Piper. I'm fine, really. Unlike the poor guy who's car was crashed. What?" He listened for a second. "Yeah, I'm glad I made this first aid course last year. I've patched the guy up as good as I could until the medics arrived."

In the end, he agreed to stay at his mother's place for the weekend before he'd return into his own, humble apartment.

While he drove towards Manhattan, he kept thinking about the scrawny teen whom he had taken care of. Dang, by the looks of it, this boy had almost been _starving_. Nico. The name rang a bell in the back of his head, but, to speak figuratively, he didn't recognize the sound. He was sure that he should know this guy, but he couldn't remember _why_.

And he couldn't lie to himself, scrawny or not, the guy had been _hot_. He had taken his shirt off to take care of the wound in his ribcage, and he had had a hard time _not_ to stare at him.

He called himself to order. He would probably never see this guy again. New York had eight and a half million inhabitants, if Nico even lived in New York. Maths wasn't Percy's strong suit, but even he could calculate the odds of finding one particular person amongst 323,000,000 Americans.

But he _had_ given him his phone number, and Nico had promised to call him. Still, he had a concussion, he'd be surprised if Nico remembered _anything_ after he woke up.


	2. It's Nico

**AN:** I've never been in the US, so all of you who have been in NY or live there, please insert a place at Central Park that would fit as a meeting place. The rest of you, just imagine that Percy suggested some place. I hope you like the names of Nico's albums that I came up with. Also, since Cabin Seven is Apollo's cabin, I thought it would make a nice studio, and Will Solace would be a director. Enjoy reading, and please review :)

 **Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus are the property of Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Percy**

For two long weeks, Percy startled every time the phone rang, and every time he was disappointed. Of course, his friends noticed the disappointment in his voice whenever they called him. One day, Jason knocked at his door and demanded to know what was bothering him. At first, Percy tried to convince him that he was fine, but in the end, he came out with it. But first, he made Jason promise not to tell anybody, especially not Leo. The sassy Mexican played enough jokes on Percy, and even his girlfriend, Calypso, hadn't managed to keep him from that.

By now, he knew whose life he had saved, and it hadn't helped improve his mood. The day after the accident, the headline of every tabloid said _Nico di Angelo — involved in car accident?_ Now Percy knew why he had felt like he should know Nico. How could he have not recognized him, Nico di Angelo, whose albums and posters of whom covered the shelves and walls of his small flat. _Prince of the Underworld_ , _Where Nightmares Come True_ and _The Labyrinth_ , all of them stood lined up next to his hi-fi.

But he knew what the press said about Nico, or (his stage name) the _Ghost King_. He didn't like other people around. A few even went as far as to say the he was a misanthrope. Fact was, he barely talked off the stage. And why would he call him? He was most likely glad that Percy hadn't recognized him.

After two weeks, Percy gave up. Nico wouldn't call him. He had either forgotten him completely, or simply didn't care. Of course, there was the possibility that he didn't want to involve Percy to keep his face out of the media. But it didn't matter, fact was: He'd never see him again, at least not face-to-face.

* * *

 _Rrrrrrriiiing! Rrrrrrriiiing!_

Percy stretched out his hand and grabbed the phone. The screen said _Unknown number_. He sighed and accepted the call. "Percy Jackson. What can I do for you?"

"Um, hi. It's Nico."

Percy's first thought was: _I must be dreaming_. His second thought was: _If this is one of Leo's pranks, I'll wring Jason's neck_. He decided to play it safe. "What Nico?" He heard a surprised gasp at the other end of the line, and grinned at the thought that he had spoiled Leo's stupid joke.

"The Nico whose life you saved after you pulled him out of the wreck of a burning car."

His jaw dropped. Wait, what? Nico _had_ called him back? After _three weeks?_

"Oh, err, hi. I didn't think you'd actually call back." he replied, and heard a sigh. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I completely forgot about it, to be honest, I didn't even remember you when I woke up. By the time I remembered, that is two hours ago, I wasn't sure whether you'd be upset if I'd call you after having you waiting so long."

The editors were _definitely_ wrong when they called Nico a misanthropic creep.

"Also, I thought it might look like I was after attention. Like, _hey, this guy saved my life_. I didn't want to drag you in."

Percy smiled. "I'd never think that. Somebody who writes such touching songs _can't_ be yet another celeb who is craving for attention." Dang, that could be counted as a compliment.

Nico sounded relieved when he answered. "Thanks. Um, I wanted to thank you. The doc said you probably saved my life. So, err, yeah, thanks." Though Nico couldn't see the gesture, Percy waved his hand. "Nah, that's a matter of course. I attended that first aid course for a reason, you know." He heard a quiet chuckle from Nico. "Don't be so modest. You saved my life, and I want to thank you for that."

"Would you like to meet me?" Percy blurted out, and immediately bit his tongue. "Sorry, I sound like a fanboy. Don't know what's gotten into me. I guess you're even not in New York anyway."

He was surprised by the warmth in Nico's voice. "Actually, I'm still in New York. And I think I would like to meet you." Percy could feel his face heating, was this actually happening? "R- Really?" he stuttered. He could almost _see_ Nico's smile. "Why wouldn't I like to meet the guy who saved my life?"

"Because, you know, the whole world knows your face, you'll probably be surrounded by fans, or you'll have to be accompanied by bodyguards or something…" Percy muttered. Nico snickered again. "Nah, you're overestimating the amount of my fans. Sure, since my new album has been released last month, the tabloids track every movement I make, but believe me, off the stage or photo studio, nobody will recognize me. And I'm not sure if I even _have_ bodyguards."

Percy grinned. "Well, tell me a time and I'll tell you a place, Mr. D" he recited in his best imitation of _Mr. Brunner_ from _The Lightning Thief_. Aw, how he _loved_ this movie. In his opinion, this was the best movie _Cabin Seven Productions_ had ever published. Usually, he wasn't the type of guy to watch a crime movie, but Will Solace's new film was the exception to prove the rule.

He hadn't expected Nico to burst into laughter, but it felt good to know that a guy who sang about nothing but loss and pain could be this happy. "I'd say in an hour?" "Fine from me. Meet at -insert a spot at Central Park-?" "Sure. Well, see you there, I guess. See you, Percy!" "See you then, Nico."

Percy's heart was thumping like mad. He still couldn't believe it. He was _going to meet Nico di freakin' Angelo!_ His idol, the musician whom he had almost _worshipped_ during the last year. And all that just because he had been in the right spot at the right time. It could have been anybody, but _he_ had been the one. Dang, if he _ever_ met his maker, he'd be so going to give him a hug. Fate had to be really favorably disposed towards him.

 **Two hours ago**

 **Nico**

"Nico? Would you be so kind to explain what _this_ is?" Hades asked and showed Nico a note with a name and phone number. "I found it in the pocket of your jeans." He had already opened his mouth to say that he had no idea when he remembered. Percy. Oh shit, he had asked him to call him, and Nico had simply forgotten it. He snatched the note out of his father's hand. "Percy gave this to me." Hades frowned. "Percy? Is there something I should know?" Nico sighed. The relationship to his father wasn't exactly easy. Sure, his father loved him, but he sometimes overdid it with his sternness and ambitions.

"Percy is the guy who saved my life. Remember? I told you about him. He asked me to call him, but I forgot. And now I'll gonna catch up on it." He turned around and headed for the door. "You _what?_ You don't even _know_ him, and he's probably just after an autograph. Forget about him." his father yelled, but Nico ignored his rant and slammed the door shut.

Back in his room, he began to doubt his intention. What if Percy would be mad at him? Not that it mattered, as Hades had said, he didn't know that guy after all. But for some reason, Nico cared anyway. The boy (okay, the young man) had been so kind, stayed with Nico, and he had promised to call him.

He lay on his bed and pondered the subject for two hours before he decided to simply _do_ it.

After his conversation with Percy, he had _run_ down the stairs, put on his jacket, and almost bumped into his stepmother, Persephone. He didn't really like her, because she reminded him of his mother, who was dead and buried now, but she was kinder and more understanding than his father, so they got along, more or less. "Where are you going?" she asked. "Meet my savior" he retorted before he slipped out of the door. He didn't hear the "don't do anything stupid" his father yelled after him.

Now he was at their meeting place at Central Park. He knew he was too early, at least 15 minutes. But he didn't care. He totally excited, and he didn't even know why. But something inside him felt _good_ when he thought of Percy. He checked his clock. Damn, why did the time pass by so slow? Still 13 minutes to wait.

"Um, hi?" Nico twirled around, and found himself face-to-face with Percy. A grin spread across the elder boy's face. "And there _I_ thought I was early." He offered Nico his hand, and Nico shook it. "Since we had no time for a proper introduction last time: Percy Jackson. Nice to meet you."

Nico was a bit stunned. Scratch that, he was overwhelmed. On the way here, he had thought what he would say to Percy if he met him, but he seemed to have forgotten everything. "Err, hi. Nice to meet you, too." Ouch, what a pathetic answer.


	3. Autographs & not-dates

**AN:** I thought a job in an adventure pool / water park would suit Percy, since he's a son of Poseidon in the books. So yeah, they got to meet each other and they are going to meet again. Very promising, isn't it? And Percy, being the complete gentleman I made him out to be, brought Nico home. I think that's a cute gesture. Enjoy reading, and please review :)

 **Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus are the property of Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Percy**

"I still can't believe it!" Percy exclaimed for the umpteenth time. Nico sighed. "Percy, I wish you would stop making such a fuss about me. Look at me and try to forget that I'm a celebrity, okay? At the moment, I'm just some guy whose life you saved. For now I am Nico, without _di Angelo_."

Percy felt his face heating. Just the _idea_ to think of them as two normal guys… "Sorry, but I'm just _so_ excited. Imagine you would have the opportunity to walk through Central Park with your, um" he had almost said _crush_ , but he caught himself. "idol. Don't know, is there anyone you admire? Another musician, or an athlete, or—" "you?" Nico interrupted him. Percy felt the flush creep into his cheeks. "Wh-what?"

"You" Nico repeated. "There are enough people who wouldn't think twice to just keep driving, but you did not only help me, but you also cared so much that you even asked me to call you once I was fine again. On top of that, you didn't pull the 'fanboy'-act and asked me for an autograph or something, although I'm sure you would like to." Right he was. "If that's not admirable, what else is?"

Oh. My. God. Could Percy please die here and now from mortification? Percy had always thought he was good at acting indifferent, but nothing had prepared him to be praised by his idol (and crush, for that matter). His face had to be as bright as a red traffic light. "Um, err, thanks?" he finally managed to say. Nico smiled. "To be honest, you have no idea how happy it makes me—" he suddenly stopped talking. "What?" Percy asked, his heart thumping as if he was some teenager on his first date. Heck, this _wasn't_ even a date!

Nico shuffled his feet and looked clearly uneasy. "It's probably not necessary, given how kind you have been so far and all, but, um, just to make sure you know it, err… would you treat this conversation as private?" He did his best to avoid Percy's gaze.

Percy pushed down the anger that rose inside him. He grabbed Nico by the shoulders, causing him to gasp in surprise. " _Of course_ I will. I didn't tell anybody about the accident, did I? Beside my best friend, nobody knows I've met you. I don't blame you for being extra careful, but please, _trust me_. I won't say a word about this talk to _anybody_." Nico nodded slowly. "O- Okay. I was stupid. I'm sorry."

Percy gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't be. It's understandable. I guess you can't say a word most the time without being on the front page of every newspaper the next day." Nico nodded again. "It's really annoying" he muttered. "All I want is to make music and live a carefree life, but people keep prying. They want interviews, fans want autographs, the label wants hand-signed merchandise items… sometimes it's just too much."

Hesitantly, so that Nico would have enough time to pull back, Percy reached out and patted his back. Nico flinched a little, but he didn't pull back, but instead grabbed Percy's hand as he retreated. Percy thought his heart would burst or something, but he didn't let go of Nico's hand. "Can't say that I can empathize with you, but I imagine it's not easy." He snorted. "The only annoyance in _my_ job are stupid brats doing cannonball dives into the pool or diving each other underwater."

Nico send Percy a curious look, so he explained. "I'm working as lifesaver at an adventure pool. Still as apprentice, though. You'd think that would be a funny job? You're dead wrong. Forget about love, peace, harmony. I swear, sometimes I think some of these kids are sent from hell, just to torture me. I really don't know why they write 'don't jump off the edge to the pool' on the walls, nobody ever reads it."

They kept talking all day, and discovered some common interests. Both of them liked James Bond movies, both of them loved _The Lightning Thief_ , and both of them would lock themselves in their room and turn Metal music on when they were in a really bad mood. Percy recommended some books he'd read to Nico, and Nico told him about some good Italian restaurants in New York.

Somewhere around sunset, Nico's cellphone ringed. "Oh crap, I got to get home. Sorry." Percy took a deep breath before he said "um, if you don't mind, I can drive you home." He expected Nico to refuse, and was surprised when he smiled at him gratefully. "Sure, thanks."

 **Nico**

They stood in front of Nico's dad's mansion. "Well, I guess that means goodbye" Percy said, and something in Nico's chest cringed. Slowly, he nodded. This day had been so much fun. "I, um, really enjoyed today. Maybe we could… repeat this sometime soon?" he asked shyly, and watched as Percy grinned from ear to ear. "Jeez, today must be my lucky day. I didn't dare to ask if we could meet again. Didn't want to look like some fanboy."

Nico pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of his jacket's pocket, tore it in two parts, and hastily scribbled down his phone number on the first half. "Here. So you can call me." On the other half, he wrote his name. Percy's eyes widened when Nico handed him both papers. "Is that… an autograph?" Nico grinned. "I know you've been wishing for one but you were too shy to ask. So, since you've been on tenterhooks the whole day, I think you earned it."

He was totally taken aback when Percy pulled him into a bear hug. "Thanks man." He blushed. "Um, sorry for hugging you without a warning, but-" Nico interrupted him. "Don't be sorry. I didn't mind." He patted Percy on the back. "Goodbye, _eroe mio_." Percy frowned. "What does that mean?" he asked. Nico smirked. "Maybe I'll tell you one day."

When Nico stepped inside and closed the door behind him, he found his father and his stepmother on the couch, watching some movie. Hades was still (or again?) in a bad mood, but Nico couldn't have cared less. He felt like he was in seventh heaven.

His father and Persephone looked up when he entered the room. "How has it been?" Hades asked, and Nico could tell that he tried to hide the anger in his voice. "Great. We're going to marry next month" he retorted, and his father almost dropped his wine glass. "What?!" he exclaimed, and Nico sighed. "I'm kidding you, _dad_. I've spent a nice day with a nice guy, we've talked, and we've agreed to meet again sometime. And no, you _won't_ interfere" he added when he saw his father's face. "For the first time since mom and Bianca died, I am _happy_. Have fun watching your movie!"

He had dinner in his room instead with Hades and Persephone. He was fuming. It was nice that his father cared about him, but he had to stop babying him. He was freaking sixteen years old, damn! He could spend his time with whoever he wanted. Of course, his father tried to protect him from overeager journalists and fans, but he surely was old enough to decide whether a guy was trustworthy or not.


	4. Considerations & good-night-SMS

**21 February 2016**

 **AN:** Yeah, I do my best to depict Hades as a caring father. He does what he thinks is best for Nico, yet his and Nico's idea of 'best' aren't always the same. Enjoy reading, and please let me know what you think!

 **Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus are the property of Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Hades**

Two hours later, Hades knocked at Nico's door. "Come in!" Nico called from inside.

Hesitantly, he stepped into the room. His son lay on his bed and played random chords on his guitar. He cleared his throat. "I came to apologize. Maybe I've overdone it a bit and worried too much about you. But please understand that I always do what I think is best for you." He sat down next to Nico.

"I know. But you're right, father, you _are_ overdoing it. I know that you want to protect me from the world, but you can't protect me forever. I need to get outside, meet people. Yes, it's not easy, but you have to trust me to choose the right people. I know the difference between a friend and a fan. And Percy definitely falls in the first category." The words hurt, because Hades knew that his son was right. He couldn't keep him inside this well-protected world forever.

"How was your day with this Percy?" he asked. Nico smiled at the memory, and Hades couldn't remember to see him that happy recently. "You should have seen him. He's the kindest person I've met during the last three years, yet so shy. He was even too sheepish to ask for an autograph. But at the same time, at least by the looks of it, he's brave, and strong. And good-looking. And on top of that, he has good manners. A perfect gentleman." Hades smirked. "Well, _by the looks of it_ , I'd say your feelings are a bit beyond friendship, am I right?" Nico's eyes widened. "What? No!" Silence. "Well, maybe a little bit" he mumbled.

"Well, if you meet again, why don't you invite him for dinner?" Nico looked at him suspiciously. "Why?" "Well, I'd like to meet the guy who makes my son smile like that." Nico obviously wasn't convinced, but he nodded. "Maybe. But don't expect too much."

Hades smiled as he closed the door of Nico's room. He hadn't seen his son so happy for four years, since his sister Bianca had died. He had hoped to fulfill Nico's dream when he set the course for a career as a musician, but, as much as it hurt, he was right. Nobody could survive without other people around. And if this Percy guy could make his son happy, who would he be to object?

 **Percy**

Percy was sure that today, there was no happier person on Earth than him. Nico had given him an autograph, and _his phone number_ , along with the promise that there would be a next time. This day was just _perfect_. He fought the urge to call his friends and tell them. Leo would make stupid jokes, and Jason would look at him in this irritating, serious way and ask him if he was sure that a friendship between him and Nico would work.

Carefully, he pinned the autograph on the wall, right next to the headboard of his bed, so that he could always look at it when he was about to fall asleep. He stored the note with Nico's phone number in his desk drawer. He didn't need it, he already knew the number by heart, but he would keep it like a precious treasure.

He was already in his bed when his phone buzzed. He grabbed it and looked at the screen.

 _Nico: today was wonderful. Thx again_

 _Percy: thx to you, best day ever_

 _Percy: how r u?_

 _Nico: never felt better_

 _Percy: what u said at the door, was that italian?_

 _Nico: maybe_

 _Percy: looked it up on the net, says it means_ my hero _in italian_

 _Nico: right_

 _Percy: am no hero_

 _Percy: didn't do anything special_

 _Nico: saving lives is nothing special?_

 _Percy: Everybody would do that_

 _Nico: no. also, u saved my day_

 _Percy: rly?_

 _Nico: yeah_

Percy felt like his bed was floating. Wow. If somebody would have told him this morning that he'd lie in his bed and chat with Nico di Angelo, he would have laughed (or rather, sighed depressed). But it was true, he had spent the day with Nico. And according to Nico, it had been wonderful.

 _Nico: good night percy_

 _Percy; good n8 Nico_

Percy stayed awake and kept thinking about Nico. Without all the blood and the pale face, he looked way more cute. Percy would have never thought that his idol would hide so much insecurity behind the mask of the _Ghost King_. On stage, Nico was as self-assured as anything, but in person, he was almost fragile, like a precious work of porcelain.

 **Nico**

Nico lay in his bed and couldn't sleep. For other people, spending the day with a friend would be nothing special, bot to him, it was a totally new experience. The only person he had ever spent his days with had been his sister, but she was dead. He had never been a people person.

He thought about the conversation with his father. Though he didn't like to admit it, Percy had left quite an impression. Nico couldn't deny that he was pretty. He looked exactly like one would imagine a brave hero, strong and fearless. Well, fearless unless when he was talking to Nico. Watching him stutter and blush had been the most adorable Nico had ever seen. And he _might_ , might have a _very_ , very minor crush on him.

And they would meet again. Not necessarily tomorrow, but he had the firm resolution that it would be soon. After all, Percy seemed willing to accept him as _Nico_ , accept him for himself, not for the person he was on stage. It would be very strange if Percy drove the famous star Nico di Angelo home, but it was totally okay if Percy drove his friend Nico home. Even if said friend lived in a mansion and had a butler and a chauffeur. As far as Nico was concerned, money didn't matter, it was merely an obstacle in getting to know people. He wanted to be seen without all the money around. And he hoped that Percy liked him for _him_. Then again, Percy wasn't the type to be after someone's money. He trusted Percy. Unconditional. Since he barely knew Percy, that should probably worry him, yet he was sure that he was right. They had gotten along just great, and he had the distinct feeling that Percy would like him even if he was a beggar born in the gutter.


	5. Overnight stays & surprising questions

**22 February 2016**

 **AN:** Yeah, I'm torturing my readership again. It's up to you to guess whom Percy's mother was talking about... Enjoy reading, and please review!

 **Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus are the property of Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Two weeks later**

 **Percy**

 _Nico: got time?_

 _Percy: sure, plenty of time_

 _Nico: wanna meet?_

 _Percy: you bet. where?_

 _Nico: dunno_

 _Percy: go to the beach and meet at my place afterward?_

During the last two weeks, Percy and Nico had met a few times and chatted regularly. But this was a first. None of them had ever asked the other one to visit them. Percy hoped that he hadn't rushed things, and his worries grew when Nico didn't answer during the next minutes.

 _Percy: dont wanna rush things u can say no_

 _Nico: no think I would like that. u come pick me up in 30 min?_

 _Percy: sure_

Percy had to keep his hands from trembling when he locked his door. Nico would actually _visit him_. Apparently, this day was supposed to be even better than their day at Central Park.

He picked Nico up and drove them towards the beach. The weather was perfect, and Percy regretted that he wouldn't be able to surf. But spending the day with Nico was certainly way better than surfing. And he didn't get disappointed. They walked along the beach, watched as the surfer rode the waves and talked. They competed who could walk further into the water (Percy won) and afterward, they bought a hot chocolate to warm them from the inside, since their clothes were cold. Percy insisted to pay for both of them, arguing that Nico had paid the last two times they had met.

The waitress at the counter chuckled at their bickering. When Percy had finally convinced Nico that he would pay, she smiled at them. "You and your boyfriend are really cute" she said. Both Nico and Percy blushed. "Um, we aren't, err, I mean we're not dating or something" Percy stuttered, although it hurt to say these words. But they were true. They _weren't_. And there was no way they'd ever would, because Nico saw nothing but a friend in him.

The waitress winked at them. "Oh, really? Are you sure about that?" Percy was so confused that he ran against the door frame on their way out.

It was afternoon when they arrived at Percy's flat. He was a bit ashamed when he opened the door, given that Nico was used to a big mansion. "It's not much, you know, but-" he began. Nico laughed. "I like it. It looks so much more cozy than dad's house." Percy felt relieved. "Really?"

Nico pointed at the wall over Percy's bed. "Why is this wall covered by a blanket?" Percy looked at his feet. "Well, it's plastered with posters of my favorite bands, and that includes you. Or rather, it's plastered with posters of you, and a few other bands. And since you made it clear that you want to be just Nico, I thought you wouldn't like it to see pictures yourself all over my room, so I hid it."

For the first time since they had met, Nico pulled him into a hug. "Thanks, Percy. That's really considerate. You didn't have to, but it's a really sweet gesture." Percy felt his cheeks heating, and freed himself, supposedly to make coffee, but in the first place get a little distance between him and Nico. This was more and more like eternal torture, being best friends and in love with a guy who would never return his feelings.

They watched a movie, and another one, and another one, and during the time, they shoved closer towards each other, until they were practically cuddling. After the fourth movie, they realized that they had watched for the better part of the night. Nico jumped to his feet. "Oh crap! My dad's gonna kill me when I come home at 3 in the morning. And how am I even supposed to get there? I'm not familiar with the bus schedules."

Afterward, Percy wasn't sure what had gotten into him. One didn't get drunk from cola, right? Fact was, he heard himself say "you can stay over if you want to." Oh shit. Nico spun around, an incredulous expression on his face. But Percy's worry got turned into relief when Nico said "Really? You'd let me stay?"

 **Nico**

To say that Nico was confused would be the understatement of the century. Maybe 'utterly dumbstruck' would fit. Percy's behavior made absolutely no sense. First, he seemed to be almost insulted when somebody assumed that they were dating. Next moment, he blushed when Nico hugged him. Later, he offered Nico to stay over. He most likely didn't know it, but it hurt Nico. That was his typical (bad) luck: He was utterly in love with his best friend (there, he had admitted it: he loved Percy Jackson), but said friend would never like him that way.

Nonetheless, he accepted Percy's offer, and Percy had insisted that Nico would sleep in his bed, while Percy slept on the floor. Nico smiled to himself. Indeed, a perfect gentleman. Kind, good manners, strong, brave, and on top of that handsome. Ugh, he really shouldn't be pondering that.

"Percy? You're still awake?" he whispered. "Yeah, why?" was Percy's response. "What is it?" Originally, Nico had intended to ask if he'd like to come for dinner, but his courage had left him. "Um, nothing. Good night, Percy." "Good night, Nico."

When he woke up, Percy was silently talking to somebody via telephone.

" _-no mom! Stop babying me! What? Of course I'm not kidding myself. Yeah, he's cute and hansome, but- what do you mean by that? Well, you're wrong. Say hi to Paul from me._ _"_ He hung up. "Mothers" he grumbled. Nico felt guilty. He shouldn't have overheard that. For a second, he thought about acting asleep, but he decided to be honest. "Morning, Percy." Percy flinched. "Um, err, morning Nico." All his self-assurance seemed to be gone. _Wait,_ he _is cute?_ Nico thought.

"You're gay?" he blurted out, and immediately bit his tongue. Shit, shit, shit. This sounded like he had a problem with that, and on top of that, he would have rather not let Percy know he had heard the conversation with his mother. As to be expected, Percy flinched so hard he almost dropped his cup. "You heard that?" Nico looked at his feet. "Last few sentences, yeah" he mumbled. "Sorry."

Percy sighed. "Yes, I am. Well, actually it's bisexual, because I had boys- and girlfriends, but yes." He looked at his feet as well when he mumbled "do you have a problem with that?" "No!" Nico hurried to say. "To be honest, I am too. Gay I mean."

They had breakfast in an awkward silence. Afterward, Nico helped Percy to clean the dishes. When he was at the door and about to leave, Percy broke the silence.

"Would you mind?"

"What?"

Percy looked anywhere but at Nico when he answered. "This waitress, at the cafe at the beach – she mistook us for a couple. W- Would you mind if we were one?"

Nico was shocked. Percy- returned his feelings? Maybe he had even liked him all the time, and he hadn't noticed? "I don't know" he stammered, and hastily fled, leaving a hurt Percy behind.


	6. Unanswered messages & dramatic apologies

**23 February 2016**

 **AN:** Yep, I am a sucker for misunderstandings and dramatic apologies. You could say they are a an essential part of my stories. Enjoy reading, and let me know what you think!

 **Disclaimer: PJO and HoO are the property of the one-of-a-kind Rick Riordan. Aw, I can't wait until _Trials of Apollo_ gets released *dies from anticipation***

* * *

 **Percy**

Percy was sure that he'd done something wrong, and he was 99% sure that it had been his question. He scolded himself while drove to work. Just because Nico liked _men_ , it didn't mean he liked _Percy_. He had probably just been to kind to outright say 'no'.

He send him a message after he parked his car. _Nico, I'm sorry, it meant nothing. Please don't be mad at me._ He double-checked it for any mistakes, though they usually didn't care about grammar and such things, and hit 'Send'. He could only hope that he hadn't scared Nico off.

Nico didn't answer that day, nor the next day. After one week, Percy couldn't take it anymore and drove to Nico's dad's house. When he got out of his car, the door opened, and a young woman with cinnamon hair left the house. He had never seen her before, but he figured that she was Nico's half-sister, Hazel. Nico had once mentioned her when they had told each other about their families.

Percy briefly nodded at her, but a few seconds later, he heard his name. "Percy?"

He spun around. "So you are Percy Jackson" the girl said. Percy nodded. "Hazel Levesque, I presume?" Hazel nodded. The next second, Percy found himself pinned against the wall. "What have you done to Nico?" Hazel hissed. And although Percy was three years older and had no reason whatsoever to feel intimidated by her, he did. "N- Nothing" he stuttered. She glared at him. "Don't lie to me. Since one week, he's all sad and hides in his room. So, what have you done?"

Percy sighed. "I haven't _done_ anything. But" he looked at his feet "I have, um, kind of asked him if he would go out with me?"

Hazel let go of him and rolled her eyes. "Men" she said, as if that would explain anything. "You're so clueless." She pointed in the direction of the door. "Go ahead. Maybe you can make up for your obliviousness." Despite the fact that she had looked quite threatening a second before, she smiled at him. "Good luck."

Utterly confused, Percy pushed the doorbell button. _"Who's there?"_ asked a voice from the speaker. Percy took a deep breath. "I'm Percy Jackson. I need to talk to Nico." _"Wait a minute."_ Shortly thereafter, the door opened, and Percy found himself face-to-face to Nico's father, who sceptically scrutinized him. "So you're my sons best friend?"Percy swallowed hard, and not for the first time he wished he'd be more than Nico's best friend.

"Yes, sir, I am. Or so I hope. I don't want to be rude, but may I talk to him? I think I owe him an apology." Hades hesitated for a moment, then he stepped aside and pointed in the direction of the stairs. "You may, Percy Jackson. First floor, third door on the left."

Percy's heart was in his mouth when he knocked at Nico's door. "Nico?"

" _Go away"_ came from the inside. Percy swallowed again. "Nico, I'm sorry, okay? It didn't mean anything, and-" _"If it didn't mean anything, you can leave right now."_

"Fine! It meant something! It meant a whole bunch of somethings! I've _felt_ a whole bunch of somethings since five weeks! But I didn't dare to tell you! I didn't want to scare you off and lose my friend!"

The door opened. "Come in."

 **Nico**

After he had run away from Percy, Nico had felt like an idiot. He _was_ an idiot. Percy had basically asked him out, and instead of feeling all happy and saying _yes_ , he had said _maybe_ and run away.

He had tried to blame Percy, ignored his messages, and refused to leave his room. But when Percy had shown up at his home and said that it meant _nothing_ , he couldn't stop the tears from rolling over his face. And then Percy had admitted that it _did_ mean something, and he hadn't known what to believe. So he had let Percy in, hoping he would explain himself.

Well, he did. But not in the way Nico had expected. He wasn't sure _what_ he had expected, but it certainly wasn't Percy falling to his knees.

"Nico, I'm so sorry. I don't know what has gotten into me. But I won't lie. I- I love you. Since I've seen you, and I mean _you_ , not you on stage, I've been a lovestruck fool whenever you were around. I was utterly happy when we became friends. At the beach, when I said that we weren't dating, it was the truth, but a truth that hurt. I have no idea how you haven't noticed what I felt, but I did what I could not to show it. I was afraid you'd think I was after attention or something. But I swear, that's not true. I love _you_ , and I don't care whether you're famous or not."

Nico felt tears rolling down his face. He grabbed Percy by the hand and dragged him to his feet, just to slap him in the face. "Why didn't you tell me, you idiot?" he yelled, before he leant towards Percy's shoulder and cried. Percy looked totally dumbfounded, but he hugged Nico and held him tight. He wiped Nico's tears away and stroke Nico's cheek, and slowly, Nico calmed down.

"So, um, you accept my apology?" Percy asked quietly. And Nico gave in to the desire that burned inside him since he had strolled through Central Park with Percy, and grabbed Percy's collar and pulled him in for a kiss.

The sensation was like nothing he had ever felt before. After the first surprise, Percy cupped his face and kissed him back, and for the first time in his life, Nico felt another guy's lips on his own. He never wanted to let go, and when they finally had to pull back, he felt likes his insides were filled with pure warmth.

"No, I wouldn't mind" he whispered, answering the question Percy had asked a week before. And if he had thought he'd seen Percy smile before, he was now proven wrong. This smile was the happiest smile he had ever seen on Percy's face. "So… we… _are_ a couple?" he tentatively asked. Nico kissed him again. "Yes, we are" he whispered between two kisses.

 **Hades**

Hades closed the door to his son's room, a smile on his face and headed for the stairs. He had been right, this Percy guy made his son happy. He hadn't looked like Hades had imagined he'd look when Nico had described him, but he had found him likeable nonetheless. His thoughts moved on, and he frowned. It would be close to impossible to keep that secret forever, and he didn't want to drag his son's boyfriend into the whole media circus. Also, in a few months, the next tour would start, and at the thought of parting these two, Hades inwardly cringed.


	7. Meet the family & the best friend

**24 February 2016**

 **AN:** Afterwards, I think that the sudden time-leap in the middle of a chapter isn't such a good idea... As you see, I included the monk Palona from _The Blood of Olympus_ as Hades' butler. Enjoy reading, and please review!

 **Disclaimer: PJO and HoO are the property of Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Percy**

"You made this day the happiest day of my life, Nico" Percy whispered into Nico's hair. They lay on Nico's bed, cuddling, arms wrapped around each other, and Percy's face was buried in Nico's hair. Oh, how he wished he wouldn't have been so oblivious. If he had know that Nico liked him too two weeks ago, they could have been together already. He could punch himself in the face right now. But now they _were_ together, and he was utterly happy. He was grateful that he had got the chance to meet Nico. Grateful that Nico had wanted to meet him again. That he returned Percy's feelings.

Nico turned around next to him and placed a kiss on Percy's forehead. "I'm so happy that you came here for me" he mumbled. "I don't think that I would have been confident enough to face you again and apologize for running away. Thank you." Percy pulled him closer into his embrace. "You would have been, sooner or later. But I'll always be there for you."

They spent some time in a comfortable silence, just holding each other, before Nico spoke again. "I'm scared." he muttered. "Things would be so much easier if I was just Nico to everyone. But people will find out that we are together, and you'll be in the public eye, and the reporters will keep prying, and we won't have any time to ourselves." Percy softly stroke his back. "I know." he said. "But if it means that I can be with you, then I will bear it. I know that it will be hard, but we will make it through."

Somebody knocked at the door, and the butler, whose name was Paloan, entered the room. He made a few gestures in sign language, and Nico answered the same way. "You know sign language?" Percy asked after the butler had left the room. "Yes. Paloan speaks only Portugese, and since he had an accident a few years ago, he can't speak at all. But he's in all but name part of the family, so we all learned sign language."

"What did he say?" Percy asked. "Dinner is almost ready, and dad wants you to eat with us" Nico responded. Percy's worry must have been writ in his face, because Nico quickly added "You don't have to if you don't want." Percy shook his head. "No, it's ok. But… what if your parents and I don't get along? Of course I'll do my best, but what if they don't like me?" He didn't want to stand between Nico and his family.

"It will be fine, Percy." Nico kept assuring him, and eventually, Percy agreed to have dinner with Nico's family.

It turned out to be not as half as bad as he had expected. In fact, Nico's father and stepmother were actually very nice. They were very interested in Percy's life (although he suspected that they had the ulterior motive to check whether he was suitable for their son, but he couldn't blame them), so they kept talking about his job, his friends, and his everyday life. In return, Nico told some anecdotes from the last tours. For instance, one day a sound technician had confused the cables for the guitar and the microphone, resulting in a rather interesting sound, that they had actually used for the record.

When Percy finally drove back home, a huge load had been taken off his mind. Sure, being together with Nico wouldn't be easy, but the biggest hurdle, the introduction to his parents, had been overcome. Everything else would come out all right in the end.

 **One week later**

 **Nico**

Somebody ringed, and Percy got up to get the door. They had made a habit of hanging out at Percy's place, and Nico was glad to escape his parents posh mansion. Percy's two-room-apartment was more of a home than Hades' glamorous estate would ever be.

Percy opened the door, and Nico saw a tall, buff guy with blonde hair, who greeted Percy with a clasp of hands. "Perce! You're alive! We haven't seen you for the last two weeks, thought you were dead or something. Leo already wanted to split your property between us." He spotted Nico and frowned. "Who's that?"

Percy sighed. "Nico, my best friend Jason. Jason, my boyfriend Nico." Jason's jaw dropped. "Wait, ain't that-" Nico got up and reached out his hand. "Nico di Angelo. Nice to meet you." Jason, still looking dazed, shook his hand. "Jason Grace. Are you really-" "Nico di Angelo? Yes. Percy's boyfriend? Yes."

Jason spun around. "Jeez, Perce, you've been keeping things from us. I'm offended. That's not fair, bro." Percy rolled his eyes. "Jason, stop acting like an idiot and come in. Close the door, it's drafty." Jason still seemed utterly confused. "But how, when, I mean – aw, just tell me everything."

Percy nodded. "Condition: You don't tell Leo. You know his big mouth, he can't keep anything to himself. Promised?" "Promised." They sat down on Percy's bed, and Percy gave his friend a rundown of the last seven weeks. How he had saved Nico's life, how they had met again, how they had become friends, and eventually a couple. After he had finished, Jason was silent for an entire minute.

"I- wow. Percy, pinch me, this must be some strange dream. _Ouch!_ Okay, it's not a dream. Well, I guess some congratulations would be appropriate. So, um, hey, feel congratulated." Nico smiled. "You don't have to be intimidated or awestruck. I can only repeat what I have told Percy: Off the stage I'm just Nico. Okay?" Jason nodded. "Just need some time to process the fact that my best friend is dating a star." "Remember, not a single word to Leo. I'm sorry, but he won't know it unless we make it public" Percy chimed in again. Jason nodded again. "That's a bit unfair, but I understand why. Don't worry, I'll be as silent as a grave. My lips are sealed." "by Piper?" Percy teased.

After Jason had left, Percy and Nico snuggled up to each other again. "Percy… what will we do when the next tour starts? I don't want to leave you, but we have only one month left" Nico whispered. The prospect filled him with fear. If it was up to him, he would have happily canceled the tour, but the contract had been signed a year ago, and he was obliged to do this tour, if he wanted to or not. "I don't know, Nico. I don't know. But I don't want to be parted from you, either" Percy answered.

Maybe they would make it, but the idea of being parted from Percy for eight months, restricted to phone calls, video chat and SMS, scared the hell out of him.


	8. Surprising offer & comforting boyfriend

**28 February 2016**

 **AN:** Apologies for not updating so long. I have no valid excuse besides being lazy. I hope there are still some readers left to read  & review this chapter.

 **Disclaimer: PJO and HoO are the property of Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Percy**

A few days later, Nico invited Percy to overnight at his place. His father didn't mind, so Percy agreed. He arrived exactly on time, but instead of Nico, Hades opened the door. He waved at the butler do carry Percy's bag upstairs, and took Percy aside for a talk.

"Percy, I'm sure that you know that Nico will have to leave in less than a month for a tour? What do you intend to do then?" he asked. Percy's shoulders slumped. "I don't know. I won't give up on him, if that's what you mean. But besides that – I have no idea. I guess we'll phone whenever we can, and I suppose I can visit him every now and then, if I can take a day off from my job, or at the weekend. It'll be hard, I know that. But we will make it." Hades nodded. "I'd like to make you a better offer." Percy looked at him in surprise.

"One of our technicians has resigned. Usually, I would write a job advert, but I thought I'd ask you first. I know that you have a job already, but I figured you would appreciate the opportunity to accompany Nico. And you may believe me if I say that he is happy with you. Of course, the employment isn't very well-paid, and I'm not sure whether you want to learn the job from the bottom up, and last but not least it would mean that the staff would know about your relationship. But it's only fair to give you this chance."

Percy was stunned. "I- I don't know what to say. You would really" he stuttered, unable to hide his surprise. "I mean, yes, of course I would like that. I can't believe that you would do that for us." Hades smiled indulgent. "Calm down. Talk to Nico, think about it, and let me know if you're still sure tomorrow." He patted Percy on the back. "One last thing. Don't be surprised if Nico is a bit depressed during the next days. Overmorrow is the tenth anniversary of his mother's death." He sighed sadly. "Maria was a wonderful, loving woman. Her death, and the loss of his sister hurt Nico deeply. So, I'm sure you will understand that you'll have to be extra considerate for the next time." Percy nodded. "Yes, sir." Hades looked amused. "For my son's boyfriend, I'm no 'sir'. 'Hades' suffices."

Still overwhelmed, Percy headed upstairs for Nico's room. Hades had caught him off-guard, but in a good way. If Nico was okay with this (why wouldn't he?) and if nothing unforeseen happened, he would get to spend the next eight months with Nico. A broad grin spread across his face.

"Good news, Nico!" he blurted out once he stepped into his boyfriend's room. Nico looked as surprised as Percy probably had; and questioningly raised an eyebrow. "Your father just talked to me, he said if I like he'd employ me as technician apprentice so that I can come along with you. Ain't that fantastic?" Percy explained.

Nico didn't say a word, and for a second, he thought that Nico didn't like the idea at all, but then his boyfriend's lips split into a huge smile, and he launched himself off the bed and literally _onto_ Percy. He stumbled, and they both fell to the floor, Nico landing on top of Percy, their lips connecting. "That's wonderful news" Nico whispered. And if Percy had needed anything to overcome his concerns, these words were more than enough.

That night, Percy woke up around 2 in the morning and found Nico tossing and turning in bed next to him, having a nightmare. He did his best to calm him down, held him in his arms, ran his fingers through Nico's hair and whispered reassuring things into his ear. Eventually, Nico stopped shivering, but instead began to sob and clutched Percy's hands. It broke Percy's heart to see his boyfriend in such a state, and it almost made him cry to be unable to help him.

 **Nico**

Nico woke up, but he didn't feel rested at all. He had had a terrible nightmare during the past night, like every year since his mother had died. His sister had always managed to soothe him, but she had died, too. Yet this nightmare had been different. He remembered that there _had_ been a comforting presence, almost as if his sister had returned from the dead to ease his mind. He remembered holding somebody's hands, half awake, until he had finally fallen asleep again.

Next to him, Percy snored, and as Nico watched his sleeping boyfriend's face, realization hit him. Not Bianca had been there for him, _Percy_ had. At first, he felt guilt for keeping Percy from sleeping, then embarrassment for showing weakness. But as he fondly stroke Percy's hair, he realized he was _grateful_ in the first place. Percy had promised to be always there for him, and he had kept his word. He placed a soft kiss on his boyfriend's cheek, and Percy moved in his sleep, snuggling up to Nico.

Nico thought about the day before, and his chest filled with warmth. It had taken him a few moments to process the fact that he wouldn't have to leave Percy for the tour, but once he had comprehended the meaning of that, he had been the happiest person on Earth, with the possible exception of Percy. That seemed to happen very often lately, as if he'd beat his own happiness-record once per week. Not that he would complain, of course not. But if somebody would have told him two months ago that he would be happy, that he would have a loving boyfriend, he would have snorted, or much rather, run away and cried, because two months ago he had been sure that that would never happen.

Next to him, Percy began to wake up, and a smile crept onto Nico's face. This sight was just too adorable. He wrapped his arms around Percy and tried to forget all those depressing thoughts. What's past was past. He was _now_ and _here_ , and that was all that mattered. "I love you" he whispered into Percy's ear. Percy yawned and stretched out his limbs. "I love you too" he mumbled, pulling Nico closer into his embrace. They stayed like that for a long time, but eventually Persephone appeared to let them know that the breakfast was almost ready.

The mood during breakfast was very relaxed. Percy told some stories about his friends, and Nico almost snorted into his orange juice when he told them about some of the pranks his friend Leo had pulled. Hades gave them an overview of the upcoming tour, and once again, Nico felt gratitude for his father's offer. He would have never expected this, but he could see that Hades did his best to make him happy, even though he didn't always succeed.

After breakfast, Hades took Percy with him to introduce him to the rest off the staff and talk about the legal details of an indenture, and Nico retreated to his room and began to work on a new lyric he had been thinking of during the last days. Unlike his former songs, this one wasn't about loss and pain, but about trust and friendship.


	9. Embarrassing parents & Paul's sorry head

**17 March 2016**

 **A/N:** Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry for the long break! I was really at a loss with this one, plus I've written a bunch of other stuff in the meantime. Also, this chapter is quite short (761 words), but I wanted to let you know that **I'm not dead, and neither is this story**. So, yeah, to those of you who are still there: Enjoy reading! And thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites, and last but not least thank you for **1585 views!** You are the best!

Oh, and I hope you like the way I implemented the secondary characters from PJO as part of the _Ghost King_ -stage team.

 **Important P.S:** From tomorrow, I have Easter holidays, and I'll be on vacation for a week. So, no updates. If anything, I might write the old-fashioned way with pen and paper and type it out when I come back.

 **Disclaimer: _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and _Heroes of Olympus_ are the intellectual property of Rick Riordan. I own nothing but the plot.**

* * *

 **Percy**

"This is Jake Mason, he is the head technician. This is Clarisse LaRue, she's in charge of the security. This is…" Percy's head was spinning due to all the names he had to memorize. Nico's father introduced him to a huge bunch of people. Some of them, such as Jake Mason, were nice, while others, like Clarisse LaRue, treated him with blatant condescension. Eventually, Hades introduced him to his predecessor, a guy named Charles Beckendorf. Beckendorf (that was the name everybody referred to him by; only his girlfriend was allowed to call him _Charlie_ ) told Percy that he had decided to leave the team because of said girlfriend, and as he talked about how hard it had been to be parted from her half the year, Percy inwardly celebrated the fact that Nico and he wouldn't have to go through this.

Beckendorf filled him in about his job, and when Percy was finally allowed to leave, his head was filled with speakers, amplifiers, effect rigs and whatnot. Jesus Christ, how could _anyone_ memorize all this? The controlling unit for the whole stage had about one billion buttons, and Percy was glad that he would get to learn all this stuff over the time span of at least eight months. Though his tasks would be a lot easier at the beginning. Like, plugging in cables and such stuff. If somebody would have told him the function of every button and commanded him to memorize everything, he would have totally been at a loss.

Not that Percy would complain. One, this was far more interesting than scolding stupid brats who disobeyed the rules of a pool, two, he'd be with Nico. Hell, he would have agreed if Hades would have offered him the job of cleaning the toilets if it would have meant to be with Nico. His feelings for his boyfriend were stronger than what he had felt for most his handful of boy- and girlfriends over the years. His mere _presence_ made the world look like a way friendlier and warmer place.

He was on his way home when his phone ringed. He glanced at the screen, which read _Mum_. Really, he should have programed the number into his phone himself instead of letting Sally doing this. He loved his mother, but nothing was more embarrassing than to see the text 'mum' appear on his screen in front of his friends. Death gets everyone, the taxman comes after you, a twenty-one years old young man doesn't say 'mum'. That's that. But somehow he had never have the heart to change the contact into something more neutral, like 'Sally'.

"Hi mum" he yelled into the phone he held with his right hand, while his left rested on the steering wheel. A hands-free headset would probably be a good idea.

" _Percy! You haven't called all week!"_ He could almost _hear_ her frown. _"_ _What's that sound? You aren't calling while driving, are you?"_ He sighed. "Yes, I am." Sally gasped, and he quickly added, "you wouldn't be less worried if I hadn't answered your call, mum. Get used to it." In the background, Percy could hear his stepfather Paul snicker, and he realized that his mother must have put the call on speaker. "Why are you calling?" he asked. This time, both of his parents burst into laughter. _"_ _We wanted to ask if you've made any progress in the, hm, 'romance department'"_ Paul chimed in.

"Dad!" Percy yelled (yep, he called his stepfather 'dad'. They were on good terms with each other). "Mum, tell him to shut up. And you really need to stop babying me! That goes for both of you!" He was fuming, and it didn't help that his mother chuckled, clearly audible through the phone. _"_ _Did you or didn't you? And you can't really blame us for caring about you, now can you?"_ Percy sighed. "Fine. Since you're so eager to know… long story short: We argued, he ran away, I apologized, we kissed, he's my boyfriend." He let out a grumble. "Satisfied now?" he sighed.

" _Did you use protection?"_ his stepfather piped up.

"PAUL! I SWEAR, IF I GET BACK I'LL HAVE YOUR SORRY HEAD!" More laughter at the other end of the phone. _"_ _You shouldn't drive when you're so upset, darling"_ his mother chuckled. "Then why did you upset me like that?" Percy demanded. _"_ _We'll talk later, okay? Make sure to bring your boyfriend for lunch some time soon._ " Percy sighed. "Maybe. If you promise you won't embarrass me any further in his presence."

" _Deal. What about saturday?"_

"Fine."


	10. Percy's siblings & Paul's worries

**8 June 2016**

 **A/N:** My deepest apologies. I know I haven't updated in almost two months (17 March 2016–8 June 2016). I think (hope?) I can say that during these two months, my writing has become better, and in my opinion, most of my old stories (including this) are rushing things way too fast. Honestly, I would rather delete most of them. But I have made it my policy not to abandon any stories _if possible_ , so don't worry, I will continue this story.

Tl;dr: Sorry for the delay, here's another chapter. It's a bit shorter than my chapters usually are these days, but I think it meets the average length for this story.

Also, this chapter was beta-read by **hes-beauty-hes-jason-grace**. She is also beta-reading my Harry Potter story _Denial and its Side Effects_ , check out her profile and stories!

— Hashtag

* * *

 **Nico**

"It's so nice to finally meet you in person, Nico."

Nico instantly liked Sally Jackson. She was the kind of woman you simply _couldn't_ dislike. From the second Percy had introduced him to his parents, they had treated him like a member of the family. Nico thought, in the back of his head, that it was maybe a _little_ bit _too_ early to think of him as 'family', what with them being boyfriends for three weeks, but it was nice nonetheless. He couldn't quite fight the bittersweet feeling when he saw how good Percy got along with his stepfather. His relationship with Persephone… he didn't really like her. She had never tried to replace his _mamma_ , but she was a constant reminder that his mother was gone. She had never been mean or anything, though. Now that he thought about it, she had actually always been quite nice to him. Nothing like the evil stepmother you could read about in every fairy tale.

The first ten minutes after his arrival, Nico was busy shaking hands (Sally's and Paul's) and preventing little children from abusing him as a pillow (Percy's baby brother Tyson and his friend Ella). But who could resist pouting four-year-old children? Which resulted in Tyson and Ella climbing all over Nico while he lay on the couch, his head on Percy's lap. While Tyson and Ella kept babbling, talking about their fantastic adventures, involving playgrounds and sand castles and whatnot, Nico was content to smile at his boyfriend. Percy seemed to feel so… _at ease_ was the right choice of words. Percy seemed to feel so eased around his family. The expression of Percy's face was as relaxed as Nico felt when he was around his boyfriend.

Soon, Nico was bombarded with questions. He was ashamed to admit that he had never attended a high school, and he didn't need Paul's slightly disapproving look to know that the day his career as musician would be over, he wouldn't have a backup plan or _anything_ to fall back on, besides the money he would have earned by then. Of course, the inevitable questions about his plans for the future were asked as well. He hadn't really thought about that, not before he had met Percy, but he found that he had – subconsciously – always imagined he would live alone and wallow in memories of his time as a musician. But now that he was with Percy – maybe, if they would still be together by then – they could settle down. Maybe found a family. He wouldn't mention this, of course not – he wouldn't want to scare Percy by talking of founding a family after they'd been dating for three weeks.

After dinner, Paul took him aside for a 'talk between men', and Nico had read enough cheesy romance crap (though he would rip out the tongue of anybody who dared to share this knowledge) to know what to most likely expect. Not that Nico owned any romance novels, of course not, mind you. But his half-sister loved them, and when he was about to die of boredom, he read whatever was within his reach.

"So, Nico, you seem like a nice boy, and I can see that Percy is happy with you," _now comes the 'but'_ , Nico thought, "but I am sure you understand that I am a bit worried about my stepson." Nico nodded. _Now he'll be asking what my intentions are, right?_

"Have you ever thought about the fact that being with you will, sooner or later, inevitably drag Percy into the media spotlight?" As if Nico wouldn't have considered that.

"Of course," he answered. "And Percy knows what this means. We've talked about it, and he knows that we can't keep our relationship a secret forever." As an afterthought, he added, "Not that I'd want to. I'm not ashamed of my sexuality, or of Percy." Apparently satisfied with Nico's answer, Paul continued his questioning. "What is this I hear from Percy about a job in your backstage team? Percy's mother and I were actually quite content with Percy's job so far, and I think, so was Percy. Forgive the suspicion, but I hope this isn't your idea of wooing my stepson."

Nico shook his head. "It was my father's idea. You see, I'm leaving soon for the next tour, and my dad offered, without me knowing it, Percy a job and an apprenticeship as a stage technician so we'd be able to stay close." He sent Paul a pointed glare. "What did you think, that I was trying to buy Percy?"

"That was more or less what I feared," Paul admitted. "So, would you mind telling me how exactly it was that you met Percy?" Nico sighed. If he wanted to gain Paul's acceptance, or whatever, he apparently would have to go through this.

"You see, I had this car accident, and when I woke up…"

Thirty minutes and a long tale later…

"So you say you saw Percy as a friend?" Paul inquired, and Nico heaved another sigh. "Yes. He was one of the few normal people I met who weren't seeing me as 'Nico, the famous celebrity' but as 'just Nico'." The ghost of a smile tugged on the corners of Nico's mouth. "Fame makes lonely, I assure you."

"You _do_ know that he is five years older, right?"

Unnerved, Nico groaned. "Yes, I do. I know it won't be easy, I know there'll be problems, I know he's older than me, and while we're on it, Mr Blofis, I know he and I can't legally have sex for the next year. Rest assured, I don't plan on hurting Percy, dumping Percy, throwing him to the wolves known as 'media', or harm him in whatever way you suspect." He sighed in exasperation. "Just imagine my father would have given Percy this talk, plus the 'are you after my son's money' part."

Percy's stepfather raised his hands in defeat. "I get it, but imagine you would see your brother or sister dating a celebrity." Nico had to admit that he did have a point – what with everything the tabloids wrote about the affairs of some pop stars, he'd get suspicious if someone that famous would approach, for example, Hazel. "Fine, I see where you're coming from." He rose his eyebrows. "So, have I passed your test?"

Nico didn't fail to notice the small sigh that escaped the man's lips before he said, "I can't deny that I am not very fond of your relationship with Percy. I'm sure you understand this. But you seem to be more… _sensible_ than I gave you credit for…" Paul at least had the decency to look a bit guilty. "I understand this is not what you hoped to hear, but I guess Percy could have chosen worse." Apparently, this was the best Nico could get from Paul Blofis.


	11. Tired Nico & touring Percy

**A/N:** Yeah, still not dead. Woohoo! Sorry for the long wait :(

 **Disclaimer: Not mine. No shit, Sherlock.**

* * *

 **Percy**

"Alright, let's give it a test run!" Jake shouted. "Percy, say something."

"Uh… test? More test?"

Jake shook his head. "Too much bass. Harley?" The addressee of Jake's command did something with the monitoring desk, and Jake gestured towards Percy. "Try again."

"Test Two. Poseidon's pants. Hephaestus hates Hera's hilarious handbag."

The head technician nodded. "Alright. While we're waiting for Nico to go through the rest of the sound check… Nyssa, take Percy with you and check the lighting again. Just to make sure." He wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to another member of the team. "Lee, you got the preamp of the black steel string fixed?"

Last-minute preparations for shows were stressful. Really, _really_ stressful. And Percy was, so far, only a helping hand, nothing like Jake, who had to coordinate the whole ordeal. Percy had plugged in amplifiers, lifted boxes full of equipment, set up microphones, lifted boxes full of equipment, helped with the sound check, and most importantly, lifted boxes full of equipment. Jake had showed him how to repair a defective patch cable with a soldering bolt, Lee had tried to teach Percy how to mix the right amount of treble and bass by ear, Harley had explained the PA system to him. Most of it Percy still wasn't allowed to handle after two months, but during Nico's performances, he could at least watch from where Harley stood by the mixing unit – which was sort of the VIP position.

Nico's tour had taken Percy farther away from his hometown than he'd ever been before. Usually, they stayed a day or two in each town, prepared the gig for an entire day, watched Nico play two to four hours until late in the evening, and then then disassembled the whole setup, only to leave the next morning. Most times, Percy had enough time to explore the cities for a few hours.

After his performances, Nico always was dog-tired – no surprise, after an evening-long event, plus an interview with the local press, the energy of Percy's boyfriend was mostly drained. Therefore, their time alone was cut short, limited to the boring hours of traveling, and an hour here or there in a hotel. Besides a few joking comments every now and then, none of Percy's co-workers seemed to mind the fact that Percy was dating their star. At the beginning of the tour, after Nico had officially introduced Percy as his boyfriend to the team – asking for their discretion towards the public –, Jake and Clarisse had taken Percy aside, making it clear that they cared about Nico, and didn't want to see their boss hurt, but that had been it.

Of course Percy would have loved to spend more time with Nico – take him on dates, hold hands in public, whatever. Every now and then, when he was in a bad mood, he got angry at the whole situation, wishing he could just stalk onto the stage and show everyone that they belonged together. Most times, those thoughts came to his mind when he hadn't talked to Nico for a longer period of time, may it be because Nico was tired, or when he had locked himself in his room because inspiration had struck him and he needed to write down a tune that had come to his mind.

Percy then would scold himself for feeling this way. He'd known what he was getting himself into, hadn't he? No use in whining. He had decided not to tell his parents – his mom would understand, but Percy knew what Paul thought about Nico. He didn't need his stepdad to lecture him about this.

 **Nico**

When the door fell shut behind him, all Nico wanted to do was fall into his bed and sleep for a decade. Today's audience had been great – to the point where the crowd had become too enthusiastic. Nico had played song after song after song, and his fans had cheered and applauded, so the show had lasted until long past midnight. Thankfully, Clarisse and Frank understood, and dodged the few reporters that had gathered in the lobby to form a path for Nico. He'd answer a few of their questions in the morning, when he wasn't at the risk of falling sleep in the middle of a sentence.

During the ride to their hotel, Nico dozed off a few times, head falling onto his shoulder in an undignified way. He put all of his effort into quickly striding through the hotel lobby without looking too much like an idiot, only to let his eyes fall shut as soon as the elevator doors had closed behind him and Frank. They were the first to arrive – the rest of the crew had to pack their equipment, and Clarisse would be supervising them.

He headed straight to Percy's room instead of his own. To keep up their cover, they couldn't book a suite for Nico and Percy together – not to mention that Hades wouldn't allow it –, but they'd made a habit out of sleeping in the same bed whenever Nico could slip into Percy's room unnoticed by the hotel staff. It wasn't the optimal solution, but it was one of the few moments when they could spend a little time with each other without the risk of anybody watching. Nico could pretend that he didn't see the suggestively wiggled eyebrows Nyssa and Jake sent his way, the seemingly uninterested grunt from Clarisse, or the way Frank's face flushed whenever Nico and Percy spent time with each other. It didn't matter.

What _did_ bother Nico, though, was that they didn't talk nearly as much as they used to in New York. Most times, both were too tired from Nico's gigs to do anything beyond cuddles. He hadn't even found the time to ask Percy how he liked his job yet – almost three months into this new arrangement.

The only good thing that came from this was that he could sleep better – not nearly enough, but thanks to the exhaustion after an event without trouble. Back in New York, he had often had trouble falling asleep. His father had offered to have him see a doctor, but Nico had declined.

Percy returned a few hours later to find Nico fast asleep on his bed, still dressed in his sweaty clothes.

There were far less pleasant ways to begin a morning than waking up in Percy's arms. Cuddles followed by an almost heavenly breakfast, this morning could be rated as 'above average', Nico decided. After the second cup of coffee, his tiredness began to subside – only to be replaced with irritation when Jake Mason stepped into the suite to tell Hades that the tour bus had a mechanical defect, that would take at least half the day to fix.

"Sorry, Mr di Angelo. Nyssa has someone from a local workshop take a look at it right now, but we're stuck here 'til the evening. Nothing we can do about it."

Nico's father responded with an irritated sigh, and dismissed Jake with a curt nod. Seizing an opportunity when he saw one, Nico left the suite when Hades went into another room to pick up the phone and inform Nico's manager of the unforeseen change of plans.

He would take Percy on a date, Nico decided. If his father knew, he'd probably forbid it, but in this city there _had_ to be a café or an ice-cream parlor where they could go without attracting attention. Somewhere in the outskirts of the town maybe, where nobody would expect a famous musician. Heck, at the moment, Nico would have settled for a burger restaurant if it meant having Percy to himself for an hour or two.


End file.
